Player Principles

Ten habits that make play work. Strive to follow them; they're how you achieve your agenda.

• Begin and end with the fiction. Don't just say "I Seek Insight" — say how. "I cock my head, listening for anything odd." To do it, you have to do it.
• Connect with the other PCs. Your characters don't have to be friends, but they're allies. Play out scenes together. Let relationships change.
• Show us what's important to you. Make values visible through word and deed.
• Have goals and pursue them. Actively work toward something — a steading improvement, an NPC's respect, even just a roof that doesn't leak. Don't only react.
• Be bold, take risks. Don't deliberate for ten minutes over every choice. Heroes act.
• Embrace difficulty, setback, and failure. The stakes have to be real or the wins don't count. Heroes don't avoid falling down — they get back up.
• Participate in worldbuilding. Answer the GM's questions with color and enthusiasm. The obvious answer is often the right one.
• Build on what others have said. Reuse details from other players' answers rather than inventing fresh ones.
• Give others a chance to shine. Watch the spotlight. If you've been talking a lot, suggest a shift.
• Participate in the conversation. Pay attention even when your PC isn't involved. Ask questions. React. The game is the conversation.

When in doubt — when the GM asks "What do you do?" and you freeze — visualize the situation, ask for clarification, consider what your character wants, and go with the obvious or interesting choice. You get XP on a 6-.